In June 2026 the federal government launched "AI for All," a national strategy with a stated goal of taking business AI adoption from about 12% to 60% by 2034. Since then I have had the same conversation a dozen times: "Is there money for this?"
The honest answer is: some, for some businesses, and less than the headlines suggest. Most of the announced dollars go to research, compute, and large projects. Two programs actually reach a small business that wants to build something, and this page is about those two, with the rest listed so you know what to ignore.
I am not a grant consultant. I build AI software. I keep this page because clients ask, and because the answer changes which project makes sense.
The programs, in one table
| Program | Status (Sept 2026) | What it is | Fits you if |
|---|---|---|---|
| BDC LIFT | Open, continuous intake | Loans of $25K to $2M for AI adoption, with a mandatory BDC advisory plan. Preferential rate when the solution or integrator is Canadian. | Revenue over $1M, profitable, and you want to build something specific. |
| NRC IRAP AI Assist | Open, through IRAP advisors | Non-repayable contributions to small businesses for AI planning and pilot projects. Public records show awards around $75K. | Incorporated, for-profit, 500 or fewer employees, and there is real technical work to do. |
| Regional AI Initiative (PacifiCan, FedDev Ontario, and the other regional agencies) | Closed; $500M expansion announced, no reopening date | Repayable contributions of $500K to $3M, covering up to half of a project. | You have a $1M+ project, usually in manufacturing, health, cleantech, or agriculture. |
| Mitacs | Open | Co-funded internships pairing a graduate student and an academic supervisor with your company. | You have a research question and a university partner, and months to spend. |
| Provincial programs | Varies | See the provincial notes below. | Depends on the province. |
BDC LIFT
LIFT is the one program with an explicit place for an outside builder. The loan can cover implementation and integration costs, and the rate improves when a Canadian company does the work. The catch is the $1 million revenue floor and the fact that it is a loan.
I've written a full page on it, covering what the money can pay for, what a build at each loan size looks like, and what BDC's advisor needs from a quote.
NRC IRAP AI Assist
The National Research Council's Industrial Research Assistance Program has been funding small-business innovation for decades. In 2024 it added a $100 million AI Assist stream, and in 2026 its public grant records show that stream paying ordinary businesses, not just AI startups, to plan and pilot AI in their operations. A wholesaler was funded in June 2026 to "explore integrating AI." Awards in the records cluster around $75,000.
How it actually works
- There is no application form. You call IRAP at 1-877-994-4727 and are assigned an Industrial Technology Advisor, who decides whether your project fits and shapes the funding request with you.
- You must be an incorporated, for-profit Canadian business with 500 or fewer full-time employees, and the project has to involve genuine innovation, not day-to-day operations.
- Contributions are not loans. They reimburse a portion of eligible costs, which include Canadian subcontractors. That is where a builder like me fits: the contribution offsets part of what you pay for the work.
- IRAP also funds a separate, free 20-hour AI advisory service delivered by non-profits and universities. Your advisor can refer you to it. It is not something I or any private consultant can sell you, so if someone offers to, be careful.
If you are under LIFT's revenue floor, this is the program to ask about first. I tell every prospect with a project over about $50,000 to make the call before we sign anything, because a contribution that covers part of the build changes what is worth building.
Provincial notes
British Columbia
PacifiCan's Regional AI Initiative stream is closed pending the national expansion. Innovate BC's programs fund technology vendors bringing products to market, not businesses adopting AI. BC Tech members get modest subsidies for IP and AI projects. In practice, a BC business adopting AI is looking at LIFT and IRAP, both federal.
Ontario
FedDev Ontario's Regional AI Initiative is closed. The Toronto Region Board of Trade runs an AI Business Catalyst program for 75 small businesses, and the Vector Institute offers free technical advice to startups through its adoption programs. Ontario's 2026 budget promised an AI industrial strategy; details were still pending as I write this.
Alberta
Alberta Innovates runs a voucher program from $10,000 to $100,000 that pays approved service providers, and Amii delivers a provincially funded adoption program with its own staff. The vouchers are the interesting one for a business that wants outside help.
Atlantic Canada
Digital Nova Scotia's AI Digital Adoption Program covers 75% of costs up to $8,500, but only with Nova Scotia-based providers, and intake was closed at last check. Volta in Halifax runs an AI productivity lab for Atlantic small businesses.
If you're in the United States
There is no US equivalent to LIFT or IRAP for small-business AI adoption. The AI for Main Street Act passed the House in January 2026 and would direct Small Business Development Centers to offer AI advice, but it does not fund projects and had not passed the Senate at last check. State programs exist here and there, mostly for manufacturers. I work with US clients regularly; the funding conversation is just shorter.
How I fit in
I don't write applications or take a percentage of anything you're awarded. What I bring to a funded project is three things the programs care about:
- A written scope with a fixed price or a capped estimate, which is what a BDC advisor or an IRAP advisor needs to see before they can include the work.
- A Canadian corporation doing the work, which unlocks LIFT's preferential rate and keeps IRAP's contractor costs eligible.
- Working software at the end, built by the same person who scoped it. The portfolio is the evidence.
If you're not sure a project is worth funding at all, start with the AI Audit or a one-hour Exploration Call. Both end with a written opinion you can take to a lender or an advisor, or use to decide not to bother.
Ask me
Tell me what you're thinking of building and where you are, and I'll tell you which of these programs is worth a phone call: contact@sylsft.com
Program details verified September 2026 against ISED, BDC, NRC IRAP, and PacifiCan. Programs change; check the official pages before you plan around any of this. Syllogistic Software is not affiliated with any of these organizations.